Driving mechanism for sewing machines



I B. WEINBERGER. DRlVlNG MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATIONFILED OCTJ, 1919- Patented Apr. 18,1922.

i,41s,o ss.

BENJAMIN WEINBERGER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 MARX & HAASCLOTHING 00., OF S1. LOUIS, MI$SOUBIyA CORPORATION.

DRIVING MECHANISIVL F012, SEWING MACHINES.

naiaees. I

Patented Apr. '18, 1922.

Application filed October 7, 1919. Serial No. 328,960.

To aZZ to 710m it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN VVEIN-BERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St.Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful DrivingMechanism for Sewing Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a driving mechanism for sewing machines.

The invention has special reference to power driven sewing machines,such as are in'common use in factories for the manufacture of wearingapparel, and for other uses.

In the factories in which such sewing machines are used themachinesproper are secured upon supports, in the form of tablesorbenches, and are usually driven by drivin 'connections from a powerdriven shaft.

1 y present invention comprises mechanism for driving the sewing machinefrom a power driven shaft'and includes a novel 7 form of transmissiondevice for driving the sewing machine; and an object of the invention isto provide a novel and etiicient driving mechanism for sewingmachines'and the like, embodying the construction and arrangementmentioned, and operating in a more satisfactory manner than dothetransmission mechanisms now in commonuse.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have produced and used asatisfactory embodiment of the invention-and have.

illustrated the same in the accompanying drawmgs 111 which Fig. 1 is aside view, a part of one of the clutch members being in section, showingthe transmission mechanism supported by the bench or table of a sewingmachine.

' Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the invention, parts thereof being insection. Fig. 3 is a lower end elevati'onof the sup.- porting bracket bywhich the mechanism is adjustably supported in connectionwith the benchor table, viewed from the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Asis well known, the sewing machines are screwed in operativepositionsupon the upper surface ofa bench or table'l and it has heretofore beencommon practice to drivethe machines from a power driven shaft 2supported below the bench ortable and driven by some form of motororpower mechanism.

y invention comprises animproved supporting device for the shaft fromwhich the sewing machines are driven, and a novel form of mechanism fordriving the machines from the shaft. Each journal bearing for the powerdriven shaft, and each independently operable transmission mechanism,are supported from a hangerbracket secured in connect-i011 with thelower side of the bench or table. As shown, each hanger bracketcomprises a threaded sleeve portion 8 flaring outwardly toward its upperend toform a flat portion 1 arranged to bear against the lower surfaceof-the bench or table. The flat portion 4 is formed with a number oftransverse slots 5 for receiving the bolts 6, by which the hangerbracket is held in connection with the bench or table. necessaryadjustment of the hanger bracket, as may bere'quired to avoid any fixedpart of the bench or table or to effect proper adjustment or alinementof any journal hearing, relative to other journal bearings for the shaft2, or other parts of the machines. Each of the sleeves 3 is interiorlythreaded. An independent journal bearing for the shaft 2 is provided inassociation or connection'with the transmission driving mechanism ofeach sewing machine. In the embodiment shown, 'ea ch journal bearing isin the form of a sleeve composed of an upper portion 7 and a lowerportion 8 securedtogether by screws '9 passing through earsin connectionwith one of .said members and offooting threaded engagement withinthreaded holes in the other member. The lower 'member 8 of the journalbearing is provided and one of said rods is supported by each leg of thebracket 11 so that said rods are in axial alinement. The inner ends ofthe rods 12 are formed with reduced portions 13, seatingwithin recesseson opposite sides of thejournal bearingabove described so that theournal bearing 18 pivotally sup; ported'by the inner endsnf the allnedrods 12. This construction permits sidewise ad- 'ustment of the 'ourna-lbearin to' brin the z; g

The slots 5 permit any same "into accurate lalinement withany otherjournal bearing in which the shaft '2 is journaled. This constructionalso permits vertical adjustment of the ends of the journal bearing toaline all of the journal bearings irrespective of any inclination inwhich the supporting hanger 34L may be mounted as a result of anyunevenness of the lower surface of the bench or table. The outer end ofeach of the rods 12 is provided with an engageable portion 14 by whichthe said rod may be turned for purposes of adjustment. Nuts 15 arescrewed onto the rods 12 and into locking engagement with the bracket 11to hold the rods from turning as a result of the vibration of themachines when in operation. Provision is made for holding the journalbearing positively in proper position for supporting the shaft. As showna pair of screws 16 are threaded through ears on the bracket 11 and havetheir lower ends engaging the uppermember 7 of the journal bearing atopposite sides of the rods 12. The screws 16 will prevent oscillation ofthe journal bearing relative to the shaft 2 after proper adjustment hasbeen effected Nuts 17 on the screws 16 and engaging the ears of thebracket through which the screws are threaded lock the screws againstbecoming loosened as a result of the vibration of the parts when inoperation.

The bracket 11 is formed with an interi orly threaded portion 18. Saidbracket 11 is supported from the hanger bracket 3-4 by an adjustableconnection 19 having right hand threads on one end thereof and left handthreads on'the opposite end thereof to correspond with the threadsformed in the bracket 3-4 and with the threads formed in the portion 18of the bracket 11. Thus the connection 19 may be simultaneously threadedinto the bracket 3-41: and the portion 18 of the bracket 11 in order toraisethe bracket 11 to any desired adjusted position. Similarly, thebracket 11 may be lowered from one adjustment to another byproperturning of the connection 19. Nuts 20 on the threaded portions of theconnection 19 may be forced into locking engagementwith the bracket 3 1-and with the bracket 11, respectively,-in order to prevent dislocationof any of the parts as a result of vibration caused by operation of themachines.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there is a co-operativerelationship between the parts described, permitting the journal bearingto be raised or lowered or adjusted laterally, or inclined as requiredto obtain the necessary exactness of adjustment and to prevent improperalinement of the journal bearing relative to the shaft. My invention, sofar as above described, completely and satisfactorily obtains thatobject and purpose of adjustably supporting the journal bearing inposition to accommodate theshaft without the slightest torsionalstrains,

clutch,

My invention comprises, further, mecha nism'for driving theconnection'for operating the sewing machine from the, shaft 2.

As shown, such mechanism is in the form of a transmission clutch ofnovel construction and mode of operation. The transmission clutch showncomprises a clutch member 21 attached to the shaft 2 and in constantrotation with the shaft when the shaft is driven.

At its periphery the clutching member 21' is provided with a beveledflange or clutch portion 22. The co-operating clutch-member comprises apulley or wheel 23 provided with a flange-2 1 movable into and out ofportion of the journal bearing 7-8, above described; so that theclutching member 21 is in constant rotation with the shaft 2 while theco-operating clutch member is journaled upon a stationary support and istherefore wholly free from any tendency to rotate with the shaft 2,except when the clutch members are engaged. This is an important featureof my present invention because it permits the sewing machines or otherdriven mechanism to be stopped very quickly, inasmuch as thetransmission member 23 of the clutch is instantly freed from anytendency toward rotation other than its own momentum, the moment that itis disengaged from the clutch member 21; and the momentum of the clutchmember 23 is immediately overcome by a brake device which functions forthat result and also for the purpose of cooperating with the clutchmember 23 to disengage the same from the clutch member 21. The sewingmachine or other driven mecha-' nism may be operated from the pulley orwheel 23 by a belt 27 or other appropriate device. Obviously, a wheel orpulley of any desired size may be employed as re quired to operate thedriven mechanism at the'speed desired. The'clutch members are preferablyenclosed within a housing in order to prevent the clothing of theoperator from becoming caught or entangled in the operating devices andalso to protect the operating devices from'the accumulation of dust andlint, etc. As shown, the housing comprises two members 28,

taming device 30. The housing-is provided with appropriate openings forthe belt 27 and for the brake device vwhich'co-opera tes with the pulleyor'wheel member of the The housing members 28 are hinged to the bracket11 as A lever 31 is pivotally supported at the lower end of an arm 32extending down: wardly from the member 8 of the journal bearing. At adistance, toward one side of the pivot, said lever supports a brakedevice 33 arranged to bear against the beveled outer surface of theflange 24 which is on the periphery of the wheel or pulley 23. .A spring34 of the expansion type is interposed between the opposite end of thelever and the journal member 8 and the energy of said spring is employedto actuate the brake device 33 into engagement with the flange 24 of thewheel or pulley 23.

The lever 31 is provided with a bifurcated arm 35 which embraces thejournal bearing 78. The arm 35 terminates adjacent to the end of the hub26 of the wheel or pulley 23 at each side of the journal bearing, sothat by drawing downwardly the free end of the lever 31, the brakedevice 33 is disengaged from the wheel or pulley 23 and said wheel orpulley is forced into clutching engagement with the clutch member 2122.Immediately upon release of the lever 31, the spring 34 acts to causethe brake device 33 to disengage the wheel or pulley 23 from the clutchdevice 2122, as stated. The lever 31 may be operated to close the clutchby any desired device, as by a treadle connection 36.

.The construction of the frictional clutch surfaces of the clutchmembers provides for the return of the clutch member 23 to off positionwhen pressure against said clutch member by the arm 35 of the settinglever is released. The inclined clutching surface on the periphery ofthe clutch member 22 tends to repel the clutch member 23 to offposition, and this tendency is assisted by the brake 33 cooperating withthe inclined peripheral surface of the flange 24. As a consequence ofthis when pressure of the clutch lever arm 35 against the clutch memberis stopped, the inclined peripheral frictional clutch surface of themember '23 cooperates with the brake33 acting on the inclined surface ofthe flange 24 to disengage the clutch member 23 from the clutch member22, permitting the brake 33 to stop the clutch member 24.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention in every wayobtains its obis operated, and an actuator for holding said by saidbearing for moving said second clutch member on said bearing intoengagement with the clutch member which is attached to the shaft, andmeans for preventing the bearing from exerting lateral pressure andstrain against the shaft when the 7 O lever is operated.

2. A device of. the character described, comprising a pivoted journalbearing, a shaft journaled in said bearing, a clutch member attached tosaid shaft, a second '75 clutch member on said bearing out of engagementwith said'shaft, a lever supported by said bearing for moving saidsecond clutch member on said bearing into engagement with the clutchmember which is attached to the shaft, means for preventing the bearingfrom exerting lateral pressure and strain against the shaft when thelever is operated, and a device supported by said lever for holding saidsecond clutch member out of engagement with the clutch member which isattached to the shaft.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a pivoted journalbearing, a shaft journaled in said bearing, a clutch member attached tosaid shaft, a second clutch member on said bearing out of engagementwith saidshaft, a lever supported by said bearing for moving said secondclutch member on said bearing into engagement with the clutch memberwhich is attached to the shaft, means for preventing the bearing fromexerting lateral pressure and strain against the shaft when the leverlever in position to hold the second clutch member out of engagementwith the other one and yielding to permit said lever to i move thesecond clutch member into engagement with the first-named clutch member.

BENJAMIN WEINBERGER.'

